Echoes of the Past
by Barn Owl Girl
Summary: The first book of Bell. When Bell's flying during a storm, she's blown into the Northern Kingdoms. Lost and alone, she doesn't know what to do. Soon, she finds a group of owls who will help her, but they soon turn out to be echoes of the past. Post-series
1. The Big Storm

**A/N: Hello! This is my first fanfiction story. It started out just for fun, then it got longer and longer until I had a full story. I thought I should put it up, so here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Guardians of Ga'Hoole.  
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**Echoes of the Past**

"Hey! Wait up!" Bell called to her sister, Sebastiana, or Bash, for short.

"You'll have to fly faster than that to catch me!" exclaimed Bash.

"Would you two keep it down?" Blythe snapped. "I'm trying to practice my high C. Madame Plonk says I'll be able to sing in the harvest festival again and I have a really cool piece picked out to sing, but it's got a really high C and if I can't get it I won't be able to do the song, and I really want to!"

Bell and Bash swiveled their heads to look at her. They stared at her for about two seconds, then flew off again, continuing their game.

"Why won't you pay attention to me!" Blythe said. "I even know you'll like it! It's an old gadfeather one!'' She declared at the top of her lungs.

"Girls, girls! Settle down! It's really late and you should be off to bed!" said Mrs. P, Soren's old nest maid snake, as she slithered in. "Just because your parents aren't here doesn't mean you can stay up all day!"

"We're sorry, Mrs. P." The girls chorused.

"It's just that we're not tired yet!'' Bell complained.

"Well, maybe you'd get tired if you settled down!" Mrs P. said. "Now off to bed!"

* * *

><p>"Bash…" Someone was whispering into her ear slit. "Bash, are you awake?"<p>

She stood up, and yawned,"I am now."

It was Bell who was doing the whispering. "I can't sleep, and Mrs. P. is gone. I was soooooo bored, so I stuck my head outside and there's a huge storm blowing in! You wanna go out and fly in it?" she asked.

"I know you want to show off your skills," said Bash, "but I'm too tired to go out. You can go out on your own, but be careful. Keep the tree in sight the whole time."

"Thanks, Bash!" Bell said with a twinkle in her eyes. "See you at tweener!"

* * *

><p><em>There were many copies of Nyra, all in the same cave. The ceiling glittered with the ice of the Northern Kingdoms. The moon-faced owls were closing in and there was no place to go…<em>

"Bash! Bash, wake up! Are you all right?" This time it was Blythe talking.

"I'm fine, Blythe." Bash replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You were twitching in your sleep" Blythe said " and you were muttering something - uh, it might have been about… um, pie, or something, I think."

"Pie?" Bash asked. "What in Glaux's name is pie?"

"You remember," replied Blythe."We had milkberry pie last breaklight."

"Oh… so that's what it's called" said Bash.

Just then, her parents flew into the hollow. When they turned around, they were very surprised to see two of their daughters awake in the middle of the day.

"What are you two doing up? You should have been in bed ages ago!" Soren exclaimed.

"We're sorry, Da." said Blythe. "We weren't up for long. It was just that I was woken up when Bash slammed into me."

"'Bash slammed into you'?" Pelli asked. "Bash, why would you do that to your sis -"

"WAIT!" shouted Blythe. "I can explain. Bash was twitching in her sleep again and was muttering something. I think she was having a bad dream."

"Well, now that that's all settled," said Soren. "Bash, do you remember what you were dreaming about?"

Bash thought for a second. "Uh … Nope! Completely forgotten." she replied. _That's odd… _she thought. _I usually remember my dreams…_

"By the way," Pelli inquired. "Where's Bell?"

"Oh, Bell…" Bash said uncomfortably. "She, uh, said she was going out for a little flight 'cause she couldn't sleep," she replied

"I hope she's alright…" said Soren.

"She might have gotten caught in the storm!" exclaimed Pelli. "We must go look for her, you know she's a weak flier, she's probably so worried…"

* * *

><p>Well, Pelli was right. Bell was caught in the storm, and blown all the way to the Northern Kingdoms! Now, she was exhausted from fighting the wind. She'd tried her hardest to stay near the Tree, but she was too weak, and now she had no energy left. She needed to rest. She saw a small ice shelf, not 40 pytes <strong>(AN: about 180 cm/70 in)**off her left wing!

She immediately turned and set down. The ice shelf turned out to be an ice cave! She walked a bit deeper down into the cave. Once you were into the cavity a bit, it wasn't so cold. There was an old pile of leaves to her right that looked like it might have been a nest once. She walked over to it, flopped down, and fell asleep.

**So, there's chapter 1! Hope you liked it. Please leave a review. I need to know if people enjoyed my story! Well**,** I guess this is all. Chapter 2 will be up soon.**


	2. Vienna

**So, now we have a second chapter for Echoes of the Past. I don't have any reviews yet, so I hope some people are reading it. Well, here it is.**

**I would like to dedicate this chapter to my friends at HFW, Saw-Whet, Goat, Hawk, Viper, Bunny, Cloud, Daisy, Sea Horse, Ladybug, Ocean and Sky.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. So far, I only own Vienna.**

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><p>The next night at the Great Tree, Pelli was getting the search-and-rescue chaw ready to go out and look for Bell.<p>

"Mum, can we come with you?" inquired Bash. "You could use our help."

"No way!" replied Pelli. "I can only stand one missing daughter. While I'm gone, you'll be staying with Otulissa."

Bash groaned. "Aw, not Otulissa…"

Pelli's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Bash, why don't you want to stay with Otulissa? I thought you liked her."

Bash sighed. "Well, last time we stayed with her, she did nothing but study, and now, with her eggs, she'll probably just want us to eggsit."

Just then, Blythe flew in to see her mother off. She noticed Bash and Pelli glaring at each other. She stepped in between them. "Hey, break it up! I don't think we should be fighting. Remember, we have to find Bell."

Pelli sighed. "She's right." She smiled weakly. "Aw, come here, you guys." She wrapped her wings around her daughters. "I just don't won't to lose you guys. I love you so much."

Blythe and Bash hugged her back. "We love you, too."

Finally, Blythe and Bash let go. "Good luck, mum!" They chorused.

And with that, Pelli and the search-and-rescue chaw flew off.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Bell was still fast asleep, oblivious to the fact that she was no longer alone in the ice cave. A soft rustling noise awakened her. She slowly opened her eyes and thought she saw the moon above her, a huge, giant, very close moon, but when she looked closer, she realized that it was not the moon, but a moon-shaped face, the exact some moon-shaped face that she knew so well.<p>

"NYRA!" she screamed. She backed away as fast as she could, but soon bumped into the wall.

But then, the other owl spoke. "I am not Nyra" she said calmly. Her voice flowed soft and smooth, like the wind.

"B-but - I'd recognize that moon-shaped face anywhere!" exclaimed Bell.

"I'm not Nyra," repeated the other owl. "but I _am_ Nyra's sister."

This came to Bell as a shock. She never thought that Nyra might have a sister… "I'm from the Great Tree," explained Bell, "and we never knew that Nyra had any siblings."

The other owl nodded. "Well, Nyra was the youngest in the family… maybe she didn't like to talk about her past…"

"Nyra was the youngest?"Bell asked. "She always seemed super tough!"

"Well, when you grow up in the Northern Kingdoms, you have to be tough" said the other owl. "Come on. You can stay at my place for the next while. Oh, and how rude of me not to introduce myself; the name's Vienna."

* * *

><p>While Bell was being escorted to Vienna's place, Bash and Blythe were sitting around in Otulissa's hollow.<p>

"It's so boring here," Blythe whined. "I'd much rather be with Madame Plonk than eggsitting at Otulissa's."

"Well," said Bash, "Otulissa has a lot to do, being head ryb, and also having her four eggs and us to take care of."

"I'm not hard to keep amused, but all there is here are books and eggs" replied Blythe.

"Blythe, don't be so selfish!" snapped Bash. "You know that when Mum's away, we can't stay home alone, and Da's too busy, and Mrs. P's too busy, so we have to stay with Otulissa!"

"Bash, what has gotten into you?" asked Blythe. "You're usually so sweet and kind!"

Bash sighed. "I don't know" she replied . "I just didn't sleep well yesterday, I kept having weird daymares, but now that I mention it, I can't seem to remember what they were about… strange, isn't it?"

Just then, Otulissa flew in with a botkin full of new books. "I just got back from the Brad," she said, "and I'm going to use these in my next class," gesturing to the books. "But I'm not quite sure what to talk about, or what the owlets will find interesting…"

"I could help!" volunteered Bash.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" replied Otulissa. "Blythe, could you stay here and watch my eggs?"

"All right, I'll watch your eggs" replied Blythe, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Great!" said Otulissa. Then she and Bash flew into the next room.

"All righty," chirped Otulissa. "Tomorrow I've got a new chawlet coming in and I need to get them interested in the history of the Tree. So, what should I talk about first?"

"Well," said Bash, "What are your new books about?" Otulissa began digging through her botkin.

"Okay, I've got a book on the well-being of the tree, another on old scroom stories and a book on Nyra and the Pure Ones."

As soon as Bash heard the word 'Nyra', she remembered what she had been dreaming about. In her dream, she was in some sort of ice cave and was being surrounded by many duplicates of Nyra.

_What a weird dream…_ she thought. _Should I tell Otulissa? No, she'll probably think it's weird or I'm stark raving yoicks._

"Well?" Otulissa inquired. "Is something wrong?"

"Wha? Oh, I'm fine; and about the chawlet, um… I think the scroom story one. They'll find that interesting," replied a befuddled Bash. "I hope…" she added under her breath.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Otulissa asked. "You've been a little _off_ lately."

"I'm good," Bash replied. "But, could I see my da for a minute? I want to talk to him."

"Sure thing, Bash," replied Otulissa. "I'll be right back."

**So, now we have two chapters. Hope you liked it so far! Please leave a review, if you can. I'd like some feedback!  
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	3. Welcome to the Northern Kingdoms

**A/N: Here's Chapter 3! Ok, I admit, it's a little on the short side, but I'll try and work on length.** **It has spoilers for books 7+, so if you aren't that far in the series, I wouldn't suggest reading this one. Otherwise, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Guardians of Ga'Hoole. I only own Vienna, Shard, Estrella, Shamus, Parvi and Carmen.**

"What is it, Bash?" said Soren, running over and wrapping his wings around his daughter. "Is something wrong?" Once he had heard that Bash had been acting strangely, he feared that she might be sick.

"Well," replied Bash, "Recently, I dreamed about being surrounded by a bunch of copies of Nyra, but I couldn't remember it until Otulissa mentioned her, now I can't help but fell that someone close to me is in danger." She looked at her talons. "You must think I'm completely yoicks."

"Of course not!" Soren exclaimed. He thought for a moment, then asked, "Was the dream really vivid?"

"Yes!" replied Bash. "Exactly! It was like I was really there. I could see every detail in the background; the glittering ice. And another thing, I always have the same dream. I've had it about three times now."

"Hmm…" Soren scratched his chin. "Come to the family hollow. I'll meet you there." And with that, he turned and flew off.

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><p>"Are we there yet?" cried Bell. "I'm freezing my talons off back here!"<p>

"It's just a bit further!" called back Vienna.

"Aw, come on!" Bell complained. "That's what you said fifteen minutes ago!"

All of a sudden, everything was silent except for the howling wind.

"Vienna?" Bell cried. "Vienna, where are you?"

"Down here!" called a voice. "The cave's down here!"

Bell wasn't one to hesitate, especially in this weather, so she dove down. Suddenly, a huge opening loomed up in front of her. She flew in and saw Vienna sitting on an ice perch, so she set down next to her.

"What is this place?" Bell asked.

"Well," Vienna said, "Let's just say it's my home."

Just then, a flock of owls, also looking like Nyra, flew in.

"Are those more of your relatives?" asked Bell.

"Yup." replied Vienna. "The one in front is Estrella, the oldest, then those two are the twins, Shamus and Parvi, who are the middle, and the one at the end is Carmen; she and Nyra were the closest."

"Who's that?" asked Bell, motioning with her wing towards a young, moon-faced owl. "He reminds me of Coryn…"

"Oh, that's Shard." Vienna said absentmindedly. "But who's Coryn?"

"Shard…" Bell mumbled to herself. "Wait, what? Oh, Coryn. He's Nyra's son, and he hatched during a lunar eclipse, so originally his name was Nyroc, the traditional male name for a Nyrolian owl, but when Nyra killed his best friend, Phillip, for his Tupsi, Coryn left the Pure Ones and changed his name, then went to Beyond the Beyond and got the Ember of Hoole from one of the volcanos on the sacred ring and became the king of the Great Ga'Hoole Tree, but Nyra was consumed by jealousy and tried to kill Coryn and my Da, Soren, but failed, and started the War of the Ember and in the end, Nyra and Coryn both ended up dead. Oh, and by the way, Nyra's mate is my father's brother, so Nyra was my aunt, and Coryn was my cousin, so that means you must be my aunt too! Weird, isn't it?"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down." Vienna looked clueless. "Tupsi? Pure Ones? Beyond the Beyond? What are all these things?"

Bell took a deep breath, then continued to explain. "Ok, so the first thing there is are the Pure Ones. When Nyra came to the Southern Kingdoms, she joined a group called 'The Pure Ones', and they believed that all Tyto owls were better then all the rest. To become a Pure One, the final step is called Tupsi, which stands for Tytonic Union Pure Special Initiation. In it, you have to murder another owl!"

"That sounds dreadful!" cried Vienna.

"Oh, it is," replied Bell. "For my uncle Kludd's Tupsi, he tried to kill my da, and when that didn't work, he tried to kill my aunt Eglantine!"

"He sounds like a miserable owl," replied Vienna.

"Now," said Bell. "It's my turn to ask some questions. Ok, first, how did barn owls get to the Northern Kingdoms?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story… I dunno…" replied Vienna.

"Come on!" Bell complained. "I told you who Coryn is! Tell me!"

"All right…" Vienna relented. "It started with my mum, Nerissa, and my da, Shylock. When they were very young, they used to live in Silverveil. One night, when my mum's parents were out hunting, she fell out of the tree. My da lived close and heard her calling out. He leaned out of the hollow to try and get a look at her, and then he fell out as well! Both their parents never came back from hunting, so that made them orphans. They were taken in by a family of spotted owls. One day, the spotted owls went to visit some relatives in the Northern Kingdoms, and my mum and da were left behind. They found this ice cave and settled down to raise a family. Some other barn owls also came to live here, some being relatives, some being friends, some being strangers. As you can see, we've been here ever since."

"Wow…" replied Bell. "But I do have one more question. Do you also speak Krakish? You don't have much of an accent."

"But of course!" Vienna exclaimed. "You can't survive in the Northern Kingdoms without speaking Krakish."

"Ok," Bell said. Now, her question seemed kind of stupid. Of course they would speak Krakish!

Just then, they heard a bell tolling.

"That means it's time for… um, I think you call it 'tweener' at the Great Tree." Vienna explained.

Bell nodded. "Yup! It's the first meal in the night. Breaklight is the last meal in the night."

"Come." Vienna motioned to Bell with one talon. "I'll show you to the dining cave." She turned to lead Bell down, then turned back, and added, "By the way, welcome to the Northern Kingdoms."

**Ok, I admit that the owl in the Legend of the Guardians video game _is _named Shard, but these aren't the same owl. Please no flames! I just think it's a really good name! **

**Well, anyway, Chapter 4 will be up soon. Hope you're liking it so far!  
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	4. A Letter to Pelli

**A/N: Well, now we have Chapter 4! I find that each chapter is getting a little longer, so that's good. **

**I'd like to thank my first reviewer, TelepathicGuardian24, for taking the time to read my story.  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own that Guardians of Ga'Hoole!**

Soren paced back and forth in his hollow. He suspected that Bash had star sight. If he was right, then that could mean that dream -actually, more of a _daymare**- **_ could come true. He had to tell Pelli, but she was away. He decided to write her a letter. He got out a piece of parchment and began to write.

_To My Dearest Pelli,_

_Just now Bash has told me a recurring dream that she had, and I've come to believe that she has star sight. In her dreams, she saw many copies of Nyra, and if my suspicions are correct, that could mean that Nyra has returned. Be careful. I don't want you to get hurt. We both know that Nyra is very dangerous. Never let your guard down. I hope you find Bell soon. Come back as soon as possible. I miss you very much._

_Love, your faithful mate,_

_Soren_

_(Ps, Good luck!)_

After Soren gave his message to a messenger, he set off to find Bash. When he walked into the family hollow, Bash was quietly reading in her nest. Soren knew that's what she did when ever she was nervous. When she looked up, Soren did not look happy.

"What's wrong, Da?" she asked sympathetically.

He turned around. He couldn't tell her that she probably had star sight. That could mean Nyra would come back, and worse, _hagsfiends _would come back. Oh, but he had to. He swiveled his head and looked Bash straight in the eye. He exhaled deeply and began, "Bash, from what you've told me about your dreams, I think you might have star sight."

"Star- what?" asked Bash.

"Star sight." Soren said. "It's when an owl has the ability to see the future in their dreams. They say that the stars are holes in the fabric of the universe, and owls with star sight can see through those holes. I also have star sight, so it's nothing to be afraid of. It won't change the way you look or act in your waking hours."

"But," worried Bash. "That _will _mean that Nyra is coming back."

"Yes," Soren replied. "I've just written your mum a letter concerning Nyra and your star sight, but there's no way to be sure if she receives it."

"I hope mum returns soon," Bash said. She really missed having Pelli around. She always knew what to do. If Bash was worried, she'd usually talk to her mum first, but since Pelli was on a search, Bash had been trying to keep her dreams a secret. Now that she'd told Soren, it felt as if a huge weight had bee lifted from her shoulders, though Nyra's return still worried her. "And I hope Bell is with her."

Soren nodded. "I know, Bash. I miss them, too."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Bell was meeting all of Nyra's relatives.<p>

"This is my mum, Nerissa, my da, Shylock, my cousins, Harmony and Raegan, my son, Quynter, and my mate, Slatka."

Bell had no idea how she told all these owls apart. They all looked exactly the same! She then saw the group of owls from before, Estrella, Shamus, Parvi, and Carmen. Everywhere she looked, she saw a moon-faced owl. She'd never seen so many Barn Owls before.

Just then, an owl flew over, and landed next to Vienna. "Hey, babe. Sorry I'm late, babe. I just ran into a few babes I knew over in the Firth of Fangs. Babe, do I see a new babe? Babe, what's your name?"

"Um…" Bell stuttered, not understanding a word that the other owl had said. She'd been slightly surprised when the owl had appeared out of no where, and she said 'babe' so many times, Bell wasn't sure who she was talking to. She decided to take a shot at it. "If you mean, 'Who are you?', then, I'm Bell, and I'm from the Great Tree."

"Sweet, babe. I'm Bryony, babe."

Bell leaned over, closer to Vienna. "Does she always talk like that?" Bell whispered into Vienna's ear slit.

"Yup," said Vienna. "Pretty much all the time."

"We're all babes here, babe!" smiled Bryony.

"Well, we gotta go," said Vienna, smiling fakely. "See ya later!"

"Bye, babes!" cried Bryony, as they flew off.

"You know what?" Bell asked. "She's pretty annoying."

"Well, you get used to it," Vienna explained. "After three years of sharing a cave with her!"

"Whoa…" said Bell. "You share a cave with her?"

"Yeah," Vienna replied. "And she says 'babe' in her sleep, all day long. Oh, and speaking of the day, it's almost morning. I'd better show you to your day cave."

Bell followed Vienna past a long line of holes in the ice, until she stopped at one.

"Here we are, cave #514, where you'll be staying for your time in the Northern Kingdoms."

Inside, there were two other owls. "These are your hollowmates, Quynter and Neila." Vienna informed Bell.

"Hey!" Neila said. "I know we're going to be best friends."

Bell smiled. It had been a while since she'd seen an owl close to her age that wanted to be friends. As if she'd read Bell's mind, Vienna leaned towards Bell. "No, really. She does. She was hatched during a lunar eclipse and she can see the future."

"Oh…" said Bell. "Does she have star sight?"

"Well, I think…" said Vienna. "But she also has visions when she's awake."

"Ok." Bell said, slightly upset to be left alone with these two new owls, even though they _did _seem nice. "See you later, Vienna!"

"Well, my ice cave is just across the way; #257. If you need anything, feel free to come over."

"Bye, mum!" cried Quynter.

Hearing the word 'mum' made Bell extremely homesick. Her gizzard lurched painfully. She moaned and fell down in her new nest. She'd forgotten that Quynter was Vienna's son. Remembering her own mum also woried her. Oh, they'd all be so worried, They might think that she was dead!

"Hey, are you all right?" asked Neila, hopping over to where Bell was.

Bell sat up. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little homesick."

"Well," said Neila. "Because one of Shard's hollowmates has a brother moving in, Shard's coming to live with us! So, you'll have three new friends!" She smiled brightly.

"Oh my sweet Glaux!" Bell shrieked, in the way only a Barn Owl can shriek.

"What?" Neila asked. "Why would Shard moving in be_ that_ shocking?"

"Oh, I don't know…" Bell looked at her talons. "It's kind of embarrassing.

"Come on," Neila encouraged. "You can tell me; I won't say a word."

"I think that he's really cute, but I'm afraid that he'll find me annoying," replied Bell. "There, are you happy?"

"I didn't know you were interested in him!" Neila said.

"I just think he's so cool…" Bell murmured.

Just then, Shard flew in. "Hey Quyn, hey Neila." he said cooly. He then noticed Bell, standing in the corner. "Who's that back there?"

_He just has a little bit of a Krakish accent… _Bell thought.

"… What?" she asked. She realized that Shard had been talking the whole time! She'd been so busy thinking about his accent, she hadn't heard a word that he'd said.

"I was just wondering what your name was." Shard replied.

"Oh, I'm… um, I'm,…" she said as she struggled to remember her own name. 'Uh… Yes! I'm Brell - I mean Blell - Bell!" she finally said. "My name is Bell."

"Cool," said Shard. "Well, I'm just going to get my stuff from my old cave. Be back in a bit!"

Bell's face was filled with delight as she sighed. As soon as Shard had left the cave, she slapped herself in the face. "I'm such a dork! I forgot my own name!" she cried. "Neila, it's hopeless."

"Don't worry," said Neila. "You have the rest of your stay here to gain back your confidence."

"Well, I guess you're right." Bell said. "Maybe I should just sleep on it."

"Yeah, that's right," said Neila. "Just sleep."

**Alright, I admit, I also took the name Bryony from the Legend of the Guardians game, but again, they are _not _the same owl. She's based on the Jellato Sisters from the video game, 'The Legendary Starfy'.  
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**And, I took the names Nerissa and Shylock from the Shakespeare play, 'The Merchant of Venice'.  
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** Also, I have a friend named Raegan, so she asked to be credited for the name.**

**Ok, I think that's all the credits. Please leave a review, and Chapter 5 is coming soon!  
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	5. Bell & Shard

**Finally! Chapter 5 is one of the longer ones, so it took me a while. This is where it gets romantic.  
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**Disclaimer: I don't own the Guardians!**

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><p>Pelli thought first to check with everyone she knew. She went to see Mist, also known as Hortense, in Ambala, then to Silverveil, then to the Shadow Forest, then, to The Barrens, and finally headed towards the Desert of Kuneer. The search had taken her three nights so far, but everyone was going as fast as they could. She received the message from Soren when she was leaving Kuneer. She was surprised to hear that he suspected Nyra had returned. She quickly wrote a reply listing the places that she'd already searched. She handed it back to the messenger. Then, she and the search-and-rescue chaw flew on, in hope of finding Pelli's smallest daughter soon.<p>

* * *

><p>As the sun began to rise, Bash headed back to Otulissa's hollow to tell Blythe the big news. When she arrived, Blythe was reading a book.<p>

"Wha'cha reading?" asked Bash.

Blythe slammed the book shut. "Oh, nothing. Just something," she replied hastily.

Bash hopped over and grabbed the book. "'_An Eyewitness Account of The War Of The Ember_'." she read. "You're reading one of Otulissa's books?"

Blythe snatched the book back. "It's really quite interesting."

"Well, never mind that." said Bash. "I've got some really big news!"

"Yeah," asked Blythe. "You told me before. What is it?"

"I went to talk to Da and he thinks I can see the future in my dreams!"

"Whoa…" said Blythe. "You mean you have star sight?"

"DOES EVERYONE KNOW THIS BUT ME!" shrieked Bash. Blythe stared at her like she was stark raving yoicks. "Oh, sorry Blythe. it's just that I'd never heard of star sight until earlier tonight."

"Well," replied Blythe. "Otulissa _did_ do a lesson on it during the time of the Copper-Rose Rain."

"But now it's the time of the Silver Rain!" said Bash. "That was, like, six moon-cycles ago!"

"Well, do you have star sight, or not?" asked Blythe

"Yes." replied Bash. "Da thinks I have it."

"I guess it could be fun…" said Blythe with a sparkle in her eyes. "You could dream the answers to a test!"

"I'd never use it to cheat!" cried Bash. "It's a Glaux-given gift! Star sight is to be used for good, never to cheat."

"Yeah," replied Blythe. "Anyway, you can't choose what you want to dream about in the future, either."

"Really?" asked Bash. "I thought it would be the of, '_I want to dream about Bell_' thing."

"Well, it's not." said Blythe. "Otulissa said something about 'the stars being wholes in the fabric of the sky, and those with star sight can see through those wholes into the future', but I'm not sure."

"Oh, yeah." Bash said. "Da told me that as well."

"Well, he'd know the most about this. But, if you have any questions, you might want to ask Otulissa."

"Thanks, Blythe." said Bash. "I'd be completely lost without you."

* * *

><p>The next night, when Bell woke up, for a second she thought she was back at the Great Tree. She got up and stretched, then she saw the three other owls, still asleep in their nests. Thinking about home made her want to go back, but she wasn't in any condition to fly long distances.<p>

Bell got up and checked herself over. She was still missing most of her feathers on her port wing, both wings were stiff, and she was covered in snow and dirt. She was a sad sight, and wanted to look her best for Shard, so she walked over to some polished ice in the corner. She could see her reflection in it, so she started to clean herself up. When she looked at her reflection, she almost screamed. She looked even worse than she felt. Her usually white face was scarred and dirty. Her feathers were messy, she had a big bald patch on her neck. She was filthy! She had twigs and ice stuck in what feathers that she still had. She looked pitiful. But, if she looked so bad, why had everyone helped her and been nice to her? Dread began to creep into her gizzard, but she pushed it away. _They must just be kind owls,_ she thought. _Unlike Nyra._

She started to pick the snow and ice out of her feathers, when a quiet voice came from behind her. "Hey." She froze. The voice continued, "I see that you've found Neila's _issen vintygg." _It was Shard.

Bell quickly swiveled her head around. "Oh, hi Shard! I was just, er…"

"Cleaning yourself up?" Shard guessed.

"Yeah," she replied. Bell hoped that she looked a little better that before.

"Well, if I interrupted you," he said. "I could leave."

"No!" Bell cried. "It- it's ok. I'll finish later. I don't mind your company."

He flew over and lit down next to Bell.

"I bet it must feel weird sitting next to someone so filthy," she said.

"It's rude to judge others by the way they look," he replied. "It's what's _inside _that really matters."

"That's so kind of you." Bell said, smiling with a twinkle in her eyes. She then started preening herself to organize some of her feathers and get more of the snow out.

"Would you like some help?" Shard asked.

Bell chuckled coyly. "Maybe…"

Shard leaned over to help her. It seemed very romantic. She'd never been so close to Shard ever before. She wanted everything to stay like this forever. Suddenly, Bell heard a cough from behind her. She turned around and saw Neila and Quynter watching her and Shard.

Bell smiled awkwardly and gently shoved Shard away. They both chuckled slightly, looking embarrassed.

Quynter must have noticed their expression. "Don't worry, we won't tell," he said. "We all have a secret life."

"Come on!" said Neila. "Time for tweener! And after, I've got a surprise for you!"

* * *

><p>While Bell and her new friends talked and ate, Pelli's search wasn't going as well. She'd searched all over the Southern Kingdoms, and was now convinced that Bell was gone.<p>

_Maybe I should just go back to the tree and help with the Nyra problem, _she thought. _Nyra…_

"Of course!" she suddenly cried.

"What is it?" asked Eglantine.

"I can't believe I didn't think of it before!" exclaimed Pelli.

"What?" Eglantine wondered.

"Well," Pelli said. "You know how Soren thinks that Bash has star sight?"

"Yes," Eglantine said.

"And how Bash dreamed about Nyra?"

"Yes," Eglantine repeated.

"And you know how Nyra is fro-"

"WOULD YOU JUST GET TO THE POINT!" screeched Eglantine.

"Alright, alright, don't get your feathers in a twist," said Pelli. "I think Bell's in the Northern Kingdoms!"

"That's a possibility..." Eglantine said.

"And we already searched all the Southern Kingdoms!" said Pelli with growing excitement.

"Alright then," Eglantine agreed. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I guess this wasn't as long as I thought. I'll have to work on length some more. Anyway, I'll get Chapter 6 up soon hopefully.<br>**


	6. Vienna's Plan & Pelli's Return

**Chapter 6 is here now, and I have a new reviewer. I'd like to thank Stargirl-M for taking the time to read and review my story. **

**Well, anyway, on with the Chapter!**

* * *

><p>Back in the Northern Kingdoms, Bell was beginning to feel more at home. Everyone was making her feel very welcome. She could almost imagine staying for a while; maybe even forever.<p>

Just then, Neila flew in from the next cave. "Hey guys!" she called. "One of my sisters just moved into the next cave!"

"Wow!" said Quynter. "Could we meet her?"

"Sure thing!" replied Neila. "She'd love to meet some new friends!"

And with that, the four owls flew to cave #515.

"When they got in, the first thing Bell noticed was a rather large barn owl with a streak of pink in her feathers. She was fixing up a nest with two eggs in it, then she turned around.

"Hi!" she said. "I'm Avril, and I'm sure you all know my sister, Neila."

Neila lifted up one talon and waved it.

"Uh… hi," Bell said. "My name is Bell, and I'm from the Great Tree."

"Of Ga'Hoole?" Avril inquired. Bell nodded. Avril continued, "Well, nice to meet you! If you're new around here, maybe I could show you around."

"Er… ok!" said Bell.

"We can all go!" said Neila. "A sort of, 'Welcome to the Northern Kingdoms' thing."

"Yeah!" said Bell. "It'll be good for me to get out again. I need to regain my strength."

So Bell, Avril, Neila, Quynter and Shard flew out.

The second Bell left, Vienna called an emergency meeting. Once everyone had gathered, she began, "I believe that we've begun to gain young Bell's trust. Because she is the king's daughter, she must know something of the Ember of Hoole. We may be able to succeed in what Nyra has failed to do; capture the ember"

The crowd cheered with enthusiasm. Vienna continued, "And, as a bonus, after we have extracted information from Bell, we can ransom her for the ember!"

Again, the crowd cheered, but this time, one owl, Raegan, raised a talon.

"If she discovers the full extent of our plan, then what'll happen?" She asked.

"Oh, Raegan," churred Vienna. "She's just an owlet, and she's so naive."

* * *

><p>On her way to the Northern Kingdoms, Pelli decided to stop by the great tree to rest and check up on everyone. When she arrived, Soren flew up to her and wrapped his wings around his mate. He was so relieved when she got back, but he noticed that something was still missing.<p>

"Where's Bell?" he asked.

Pelli took a deep breath. Soren braced himself for bad news; he was afraid to hear what she had to say, but Pelli finally spoke. "I think Bell's in the Northern Kingdoms."

Soren exhaled. "I thought you were going to say that Bell was dead, or sick or-" Soren stopped when he saw Pelli's expression. She was not impressed. "Ok," he said. "You can continue."

"When I heard about Bash's star sight dream, I thought: Nyra = Northern Kingdoms, and it's the only place that we haven't checked."

"Alright." Soren sighed. "But, I do have another question, why did you come back here first?"

"Well," Pelli explained. "There are three reasons: 1, we're all bone-tired, 2, we need more owls, and 3, I missed my family."

"We all missed you, too!" Soren smiled. "Why don't all of you rest up while I go get Cook to make you all a nice meal."

Pelli and the Search-and-Rescue chaw headed to the dining hollow, where Soren had gathered all the nestmaids.

Not a second after Pelli had sat down, Bash and Blythe appeared. They both begged Pelli to tell them the adventures that she'd had while searching for Bell.

"Come on, mum!" said Blythe. "Something must have happened."

"Yeah!" cried Bash. "There must have been something exciting! You were away for three nights!"

"Well, alright." Pelli relented and began to tell them one story. "When we were in Beyond the Beyond, we met a Rogue smith who knew Coryn before he was Coryn. He said that he was originally from Ambala and when we mentioned Mist, he knew her."

Pelli looked at Soren, for Mist was previously known as Hortense, and she and Soren had spent time in St. Aggie's. She continued, "He said that once, Nyra had tried to persuade him to make her some fire claws."

"Wow!" Bash and Blythe chorused. "Did he make them?"

"I don't think so," replied Pelli. "They scorch and ruin your talons, but I didn't ask."

"I hope not." Blythe shivered. "I hear they kill so well."

"Well, that's just the sort of devious and evil creation that Nyra would want." Pelli explained. "All we can do is hope that your dreams were just dreams, Bash. It wouldn't be safe if Nyra's returned. Even if your dreams were true, let's hope that there's another explanation. Maybe the Nyra copies were good. "

Bash sighed. "I hope."

* * *

><p>But what Pelli didn't know is that all of Nyra's relatives were exactly the same as Nyra.<p>

Bell and her friends were just getting back from their flight. They had been flying all night, and now it was time for breaklight. While Bell was eating, Vienna informed Neila, Avril, Quynter and Shard of their plan to trick Bell into giving information on the Ember of Hoole. Shard started right away. He sat across from Bell and asked, "So, you're from the Great Tree, huh?"

"Oh, yeah," she absentmindedly replied. "It's really nice. There's a huge library and many different chaws."

"Well," he continued. "I also heard that the Ember of Hoole is at the tree. Do you know anything about that?"

"Oh, the Ember…" Bell thought for a second. "Um… my cousin Coryn retrieved it from the volcanoes on he Sacred Ring, but after the War of the Ember, my Da put it back on the volcano, after Coryn… died."

"Oh, that's too ba- PUT IT BACK IN THE VOLCANO!" Shard sputtered. "You mean you don't have it!"

"Not at the moment," Bell replied, like it was the most average thing in the world. "We didn't need it, so we returned it until the next king arrives."

"Ok, well," Shard tried to compose himself again. "How does one retrieve the Ember from the volcano?"

"Er…" said Bell, scratching her head. "I think it's something like, 'only the true king can seize the ember' but, also you'd have to be a skilled collier to be able to handle hot coals."

"Alright." Shard said. But secretly he thought to himself, _Oh, my Glaux. Vienna doesn't know what she's getting herself into!_

"So," he said. "One of my old hollowmates is having a party tomorrow night, and I was wondering… if you'd like to go. With me?"

"A party?" Bell asked. "Cool! I'll be there."

Shard just smiled and nodded his head. At least one thing in his life was going the way he'd planned.

* * *

><p><strong>Yup, the moon-faced owls are evil. Bet you didn't see that coming! Ok, maybe you did.<strong>

**Anyway, I named Avril (Neila's sister) after Avril Lavigne. **

**Well, you know the deal. Please review!  
><strong>


	7. The Word List

**I might not be able to update for about 4 days after this. I'm going down to the countryside, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get fanfiction to work, but if I can, I'll try and update.**

* * *

><p>Once Pelli and the search-and-rescue chaw were rested, they prepared to depart. Just before they left, Cleve came up the Pelli.<p>

"I've written a short list of useful words in Krakish." he said. "Otulissa and I would've loved to come along, but our eggs are about to hatch. I think it's best that we stay here."

"I understand." Pelli said. "It was hard taking care of my eggs when Soren wasn't there."

Blythe and Bash ran up and wrapped their wings around Pelli. "Good luck, mum!" they chorused.

"Get Bell back!" cried Soren. He had tears in his eyes. It saddened him to see his mate leaving again, but he knew that they had to find Bell.

After Pelli bid Soren farewell, she and the search-and-rescue chaw flew off.

* * *

><p>"They're coming!" said Neila, who had her eyes closed. "The search-and-rescue chaw and the little brat's mother just left the Ga-whatsit Tree. They'll be here in two and a half nights." As you can see, Neila's gift was much more powerful than any other owls with star sight.<p>

"That's not much time…" Vienna fretted. She couldn't let them get Bell back, it would disrupt her beautiful plan!

"They also seem to have some sort of translation paper with common words in the Krakish vocabulary," Neila continued. "If we take that, they'll be postponed and we'll have time to move the brat."

"Excellent," said Vienna, calming down. "Send out three owls immediately."

* * *

><p>"So," said Pelli. "We should be heading north-east if we want to get to the Northern Kingdoms fastest."<p>

Eglantine was fumbling with the Krakish word list. It had been strapped to her leg for the journey.

Pelli rolled my eyes. "What is it now, Eglantine?" she asked. This was the third time Eglantine had fallen behind to tighten that leg strap of her's. She couldn't quite reach it, and that just made it worse.

"The lag strap's not fitting very well." Eglantine complained."It keeps coming loose and I'm afraid it's gonna come off."

Primrose flew down and pulled the strap tight. "Better?" she asked her friend.

"A little bit," Eglantine sighed.

Just then, out of no where, three owls wearing masks flew up and attacked. Eglantine screeched and fought back. After a few minutes of vicious fighting, the owls left.

"Is everyone alright?" Pelli asked.

"I'm fine!" called Eglantine. "Just a little shaken up."

"Wait!" cried Primrose. "Eglantine, the word sheet's gone!"

"WHAT?" they all cried.

"It's OK." Pelli said, trying to calm everyone down. "We have to keep going. We'll be fine without it!"

"I guess we all know a bit of Krakish…" said Miranda, an Elf Owl , new to the search-and-rescue chaw.

"See?" Pelli continued. "That's the spirit! Let's keep going!"

* * *

><p>"We got the list," said Shamus, taking off his mask and showing Vienna the word list.<p>

"They fought dirty," said Raegan, taking off her mask as well.

"You can say that again!" replied Harmony. "The little brat's aunt attacked my face like I was Naftur himself!" Her face was scratched and bleeding with three talon scrapes that ran all the way down her face when she took off her mask.

"Ooh, that's gonna leave a mark!" Vienna winced. She then turned back to the rest of the owls. "Well, at least we postponed them. That'll but us some time to move Bell to out mountain top hideout."

"I'll suggest it to her right away!" Avril said. "We'll say it's a… camping trip! She'll fall for that, hook, line, and sinker."

"Maybe we should keep it down," said Shard. "It _is_ the middle of the day."

"Yeah, exactly," Vienna sneered. "'_It's the middle of the day_'. No one's awake! Especially little _owlets_ like Bell!"

"It's just that Bell's a light sleeper…" Shard nervously said.

"How do you know so much bout Bell?" Vienna demanded. "Last night you were telling us every detail about her favorite foods!"

"I've just gotten to know her better than you!" Shard snapped.

"Well, if you've gotten to 'know her' so well, then why haven't you given us any information on the Ember of Hoole?" Raegan demanded.

"I've already told you, she doesn't know anything!" Shard said. "At least anything useful." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Vienna snapped.

Shard sighed. "I was just saying how I'll ask her again tomorrow," he grumbled, looking down at his talons. He didn't like to lie to Vienna, but he had to protect Bell. He wanted to learn more about who she really was, and he saw something in her that he'd never seen in another owl before.

* * *

><p>By the next night, Pelli and the search-and-rescue chaw had reached the Ice Narrows. They only saw a few puffins and a seagull.<p>

"All right!" said Pelli. "We'll start searching as soon as we find someone who speaks Hoolian."

They flew down to the puffins.

"Hello." Eglantine said slowly. "Does anyone speak Hoolian?"

"Um…" one said. "What's a Hoolian?"

"It's the language that we speak," replied Eglantine.

"Oh, OK," he replied. "What's a language?"

"At least they speak Hoolian." Miranda whispered to Pelli. Pelli churred as she looked down at the little owl.

"Just forget about the language." Eglantine snapped. "Have you seen a little Barn Owl? She looks a little like me."

"Oh, um… no, but wait. What's a Barn Owl?"

"She's just a smaller version of me!" Eglantine cried.

"In that case…" The puffin said. "No. Buck, have you seen a Barn Owl?"

Another puffin shook it's head.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "I can see we're getting no where."

"She's right." said Pelli. "Come on, Eglantine."

"Alright." replied Eglantine. She waved to the puffins "Bye-bye!"

* * *

><p>"So, Bell," Avril said. "Tomorrow night I'm going up to see some of my sisters in the Ice Talons, and I was wondering of you'd want to come. Shard, Quynter and Neila are coming, too."<p>

"Sure thing!" Bell replied. "That sounds fun!"

"Great!" Avril smiled fakely. "You can go get your stuff ready."

When Bell was in her cave, gathering her stuff together, Shard flew in.

"Hey," he said. "How's it going?"

"Good, good," Bell replied absentmindedly. She looked at her talons. "I guess…"

"Well, what's wrong?" Shard asked.

"I sort of want to um… go home. Maybe sometime soon?"

"Why don't you go?" he asked. "You can fly again."

"I don't really just want to get up and leave." Bell said. "It would be so rude… especially after everyone here has been so nice to me."

"They won't mind." Shard smiled. "Trust me."

"Well, I guess…" said Bell.

"I'll come with you; back to the Great Tree!" Shard grinned.

Bell instantly lightened up. "Ok! We'll leave when we're heading to the Ice Talons."

* * *

><p><strong>Quick final note: Miranda, the Elf Owl, is named after one of my friends, so it's her name.<strong>

**Well, anyway, please review! **


	8. Death

**I'm ba-ack! And Chapter 8 is ready now, so here it is!**

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own the Guardians, only my OC's. **

**Anyway, on with the chapter. **

* * *

><p>"They're going to try and escape!" said Neila. Her eyes were closed again and she was having one of her more vivid visions. "I see them talking about running away while we're on out way to the Ice Talons!"<p>

Vienna was awestruck. "I don't know why she'd want to run away! I thought we were making her like it here!"

"And that little traitor Shard was helping her plot." Neila spat out the word 'Shard' like it was a swear.

"So Shard's in on this!" Vienna cried. "Why didn't you mention that first?"

Raegan was disappointed. "I should've know he was too young for this," she scoffed.

Lock him up and get the girl." Vienna ordered.

"Right away." said Harmony. "I'll get the brat and Raegan can get Shard." She grinned slyly, then added, "Because Raegan's his _mother_!"

Raegan scowled. "You know I'll never act like it," she hissed at Harmony. "And he was pure accident. I'd never want such a failure as a son. I never even _wanted _a son!" She grimaced at the floor. "I don't even remember his father. I'm almost _glad, _because Shard must've got the traitor gene from him!" She glowered at Harmony. "Don't you have a job to do?"

Harmony rolled her eyes. "Sure, I'll get to my job. At least I'm not the failed mother."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Bell," Harmony smirked. She'd gotten back into character. "Vienna wants to give you a 'special surprise'. It's something you'll never guess!"<p>

"Alright!" said Bell, excited as always. "Where's Shard? I was wondering if he could come."

"He's…um, already there." Harmony lied. Shard was _really_ locked up in Vienna's cave in an ice cage made of _issen vintygg _and dipped in a non-melting solution.

"Great!" Bell smiled, oblivious to Harmony's trap. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"And there is the Firthmore Passage." explained Pelli. She was acting like a sort of tour guide, introducing all the famous landmarks of the Northern Kingdoms. It was becoming quite tedious to all the owls of the search-and-rescue chaw.<p>

Suddenly, that sparked Miranda's interest. "Hey! Cleve has family down there! We should visit," she cried.

They flew down and landed in one of the scraggly pine trees that surrounded the Passage.

"Hello?" called Eglantine into a hollow. "Anyone there?" Her voice just echoed around.

"I guess no one's there." said Primrose. "Can't we rest?" she asked. "Miranda and I are exhausted!"

"It's just 'cause you're the smallest owls here." Pelli explained. "That means you have to flap the most. It's completely natural."

"Good thing Gylfie isn't here." Eglantine grinned. "She'd be giving us a lecture on the S.O.S.!"

They all churred.

"Well, that's Gylfie for ya!" Miranda giggled. "Always concerned about her size."

Eglantine walked into the hollow. "It's a little small, but we could all use a rest." she said, settling down in an old pile of frosty leaves and moss.

"It's a little chilly, but we'll warm up." Pelli fluffed herself up and settled down next to Eglantine.

"Who's hungry?" Eglantine asked.

"Me!" Miranda called. "I thought I saw a mouse in the corner over there."

"The question is," Pelli stated, "Did you imagine it, or was it real?"

"Oh, I'm sure it was real. More sure that anything in the world!" Miranda smiled, flapping over to the corner. A second later, she was holding up a mouse on two talons. "See?"

"Well, it doesn't matter who's right." Eglantine said. "Let's eat!"

* * *

><p>"Where's Shard?" Bell asked as she flew into Vienna's hollow, looking around for him.<p>

"Oh, we're sorry." Vienna said in a mock-sweet voice. "Shard was sent away yesterday because he'd gone yoicks." She churred. "Saying something about 'magic beans'!"

"Oh, that's too bad…" Bell said, but she thought to her self, _Shard wasn't acting yoicks, or anything close to it. _She was beginning to become suspicious of Vienna.

"We were just wondering what you know about the Ember of Hoole._" _Vienna smirked.

"Why do you ask?" Bell asked.

"We just wanted to learn a bit more about the Hoolian culture," Vienna said mock-sweetly.

Bell considered it, as it may have been true. She was about to answer her when she saw a pair of battle claws, stained with blood, hanging on Vienna's wall. Then something occurred to her. Maybe Vienna _was_ evil, like Nyra.

"Bell?" Vienna asked. "Aren't you going to answer?"

"No…" Bell said quietly.

"Oh, please speak up, I can't understand anything when you mumble." Vienna said.

"No!" cried Bell. "I won't talk! You'll never get anything out of me! I'll never tell you anything about the ember!"

"Oh, well, I see how it is, then" Vienna smirked menacingly. "Neila!" she barked. "Put her in the cage!

Neila came up from behind Bell and put a sack over her head, and then she pulled Bell into a big ice cage. Neila hurled Bell in and slammed the door. Bell shook off the bag and started struggling.

"Don't bother." Neila smirked. "The only was out is with this key." She held up the key, which was on a long string.

"I thought you were my _friend_!" Bell panted.

"Well, _duh._" Neila said. "We gained your trust so we could get information from you. Didn't you ever wonder why everyone was always asking you about the Ember of Hoole?"

"I thought you were just curious!" Bell whined.

"Why would we care?" Neila said as she began to leave.

"And, oh," she added. "You might want to look behind you."

Bell turned around and saw a limp pile of feathers behind her. She ran up to it, turned it over, and it was Shard!

"Shard!" she cried. "Are you alright?"

He didn't move.

"Wake up!" Bell cried again. He was so cold. Tears began to sting her eyes. "You can't be dead!" She collapsed beside him. "You can't be…"

Bell began to sob. She wrapped her wings around his cold body. He didn't move. She was sure that Shard was dead.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooh, a cliffhanger! Shard's dead, Bell's trapped and no one know what'll happen next! Anyway, you'll have to keep reading to find out.<strong>

**As always, please leave a review. Your feedback is important to me. **


	9. The Comeback

"He's dead…" Bell cried. She couldn't stand the loss; she hadn't realized it, but she'd grown to love Shard. Tears poured down her cheeks as she leaned closer to Shard. Her head drooped and she was ready to die as well. She opened her eyes, but even _looking _at Shard was to painful for her now. She gingerly preened his cold facial disk, then let her head fall into his downy chest.

Suddenly, she thought she heard something._ A heartbeat?_ She dismissed this theory. _No, you're just getting your hopes up,_ she thought to herself. _You're just imagining that you hear a heartbeat. _

But something was definitely there. She pressed her ear slit down further into his chest and could a heartbeat. A faint one, but still a heartbeat.

But then, she felt him move. She held him up as his eyelids fluttered. Then he opened his eyes.

"Bell?" he asked. His voice was rough, like he hadn't said anything for a while.

"Oh, Shard! You're all right!" she cried, hugging him tighter, now crying with joy. "Oh, I thought you were dead!"

"Dead?" he said, while getting up. He was regaining his strength with each passing word. "It'll take more then three owls to kill me!"

Bell churred as her eyes sparkled. _That's just like Shard,_ she thought. _Always looking on the bright side._

Suddenly, Shard noticed that Bell was hugging him. She followed his gaze, then quickly let go. Shard and her smiled at each other, both embarrassed beyond belief. _  
><em>

Shard looked around. "Oh, no!" he cried. "I'm in a cage! And you're in a cage with me!"

_So much for looking on the bright side…_ Bell thought. "It's OK," she reassured. "We're going to get out of here."

"But you might not get back to your family," he sighed. "And now, Vienna's probably going to force you to give her information on the Ember of Hoole."

Bell shrugged him off. "It's alright. They can't make me talk."

"But that's the thing!" Shard said. Panic was filling his voice. "Vienna's methods are harsh. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Is that why you didn't tell Vienna what I told you?" Bell asked. "I told you that we didn't have the ember, but Vienna seems convinced that we do."

"Yeah. I guess." Shard said sheepishly. "If Vienna got the ember, who knows what she'd do with it."

"I've got it!" Bell cried. "Why don't we give Vienna false information on the ember!"

"That's brilliant!" Shard cried.

"We could say that it's hidden in Silverveil, or somewhere," Bell suggested. "We'll trick them good!"

Just then, Raegan flew in. "What'll it take for the two of you to _SHUT THE SPRINK UP_?" she hollered. "I can hardly hear myself think!"

"So," Bell whispered. "Remember the plan. We'll pretend to tell her the truth and lead her off course."

Raegan walked over. "Oh," she groaned. "He's awake."

"See!" He cried, jumping up. "I'm not dead! You think you can win if all the valuable players are still alive?"

"Well, if you're so smart, then how do you know we aren't gonna kill you?" Raegan snapped.

"Oh, I never said that." Shard replied.

"Well, it's already midday. Sweet daymares, my friends." she said as she prepared to leave. "Oh," she added. "And one more thing. Vienna will give you one last chance to change your mind. I'd highly suggest you should."

* * *

><p>"Have you seen a little Barn Owl?" Pelli fretted to a polar bear.<p>

"The only Barn Owls I know live on the other side of the Bitter Sea," he replied through a thick Krakish accent.

Pelli and the Search-and-Rescue chaw were now out by the Glauxian Brothers Retreat and they had been asking around for any Barn Owlets all night.

"There are Barn Owls here?" Pelli asked. "Is there a little one that looks like me?"

"Oh, no." the polar bear replied. "They have large moon-shaped faces."

"Moon-shaped.." Pelli whispered. "Wait! Eglantine! Didn't Nyra come from the Northern Kingdoms?"

"Uh, yeah." Eglantine shrugged.

"Well, wouldn't Nyra have at least _some_ relatives?" Pelli continued.

"I guess…" Miranda said.

"Don't you get it?" Pelli hollered. "Nyra's relatives must have Bell!"

"Who has the bell?" the polar bear asked.

Pelli quickly explained to him about how her daughter was missing and how they had to get to where the 'other Barn Owls' were as fast s possible.

"I can swim you over!" he replied. "I can tell that there's a storm coming in and that's no weather for such small owls to be flying in." He swept one huge paw in front of Primrose and Miranda.

"Good thing Gylfie isn't here – again!" Miranda churred to Primrose.

So, Pelli ant the entire search-and-rescue chaw climbed on to the polar bear's back, and he swam off.

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, there's Chapter 9. After this, there's only two more chapter left in the story! I think that the story is shaping up quite well. <strong>

**Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave a review.  
><strong>


	10. The Final Conclusion

**A/N: Hello! This is my first update in a little while,** **and that's because school's started again! I'll work on updating more frequently as the year goes on. All right, I guess I won't heed you with my blathering anymore. Without further ado, Chapter 10!**

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><p>"You'll never believe what I just saw!" Quynter cried as he rushed in.<p>

"What?" Vienna demanded.

"I was hunting over by the Glauxian Brothers Retreat and I saw a bunch of owls on a polar bear's back!"

"Oh, Quynter," Vienna churred. "Are you sure you haven't been into the bingle juice?"

Quynter was shocked. "I can't believe my own mother wouldn't believe me!" he cried in dismay.

"Well," Vienna said, while checking her reflection in a shard of _issen vintygg_. "I have more important things to deal with."

She called over Shamus and Raegan. "It's time to get what we've wanted," she said. "Let's go see Bell."

Shamus raised one talon. "Quick question," he said. "Why are we going to see her in the middle of the day?"

"Well, because she's so young, she'll be fast asleep, so when we wake her, she won't be fully awake, thus she'll be more clueless and give us what we want."

"Oh…" Shamus sighed. "Ok!"

So Vienna, Shamus and Raegan flew into the containment unit where Bell and Shard were being kept "Hello," Bell calmly said, for she was wide awake.

"What!" Vienna screeched. "How is she still awake?"

"I stayed up to say that I'm ready to give you the information," Bell fakely admitted.

"Really?" Vienna asked.

"Really." Bell replied. "My da hid it in a tree in Silverveil." she said.

"Oh, how perfect." Vienna smiled. "I'm glad that now you see that we're your new family. Let us feast to Bell's information!"

Vienna winked at Raegan as they unlocked Bell.

"What's all the winking about?" Shard demanded.

Vienna thought for a second. "I'm just… allergic to… the, um… shut up, ok?"

"Alright." Shard said. He still thought it was suspicious.

They brought Bell and Shard into the dining cave. There was a huge selection of food, with everything from fresh berries to lightly cooked voles.

"Mmmm, everything looks delicious!" Bell said, taking a whiff and letting all the smells seep in. After browsing the food, Bell went right to the lightly toasted voles.

"Well, I'll be!" Bell smiled. "Is this honey dipping sauce?"

"Sure is!" Vienna grinned, "We made it ourselves."

Bell wandered up and picked up a vole. She dipped it in the honey sauce, then jammed the whole thing in her mouth.

"Hmm…" she said, her beak still full. "That's a peculiar taste…"

Suddenly, Bell started shivering, then she fell back in a faint.

"What did you do to her!" Shard cried, as he rushed over and picked Bell's limp body up.

"Oh, we just put a few of our special spices in the sauce. I thought it needed a little zing."

"You know those spices are dangerous!" Shard yelled. "You could've killed her!"

"It won't kill her." Vienna shrugged him off. "It'll just make her lose her volition."

"So, in other words, you're forcing her to tell the truth." Shard did not look impressed.

"Of course!" Vienna sneered. "I knew she'd never give us the information that easily."

Bell twitched on the ground and murmured something inaudible.

"What?" Vienna snapped. Bell stopped twitching, so Vienna continued, "Well, anyway, back to the matter at hand. As soon as she told us the fake info, I knew that we'd have to force the information from her. So, I had some truth sauce brought out and, thanks to you, Shard, we put it next to her favourite food."

"This is all my fault…" Shard whispered

Then Raegan came up behind Shard and pulled him into a cage.

"NO!" he cried. "Bell! It's me! This was a trap!"

Bell was now standing up with a blank expression. She stared right through Shard.

"Perfect." said Vienna. "It's working!"

"What is working?" Bell asked in a monotone.

"Bell!" Vienna snapped. "Tell me what you know about the Ember of Hoole."

"The Ember of Hoole is from Beyond the Beyond and it is named because it's 'Hoole' is the wolf word for owls." Bell replied in the same voice.

"Yes, but where is it? Tell me!" Vienna ordered.

"The Ember of Hoole is in one of the five volcanoes in the sacred ring. My Da returned it to the volcano Stormfast when he was names the king." Bell said, again in a monotone.

"And how would one retrieve it from the volcanoes?" Vienna asked.

"It is said that the Ember will resurface when the true king returns and then you must catch it on the fly."

"'On the fly'?" Vienna repeated. "What in Glaux's name is on the fly?"

"It means while you are flying." Bell explained.

All the while, Shard was reaching for they key. He finally grabbed it.

"We've got all the information we need." Vienna said. "Shamus, you may dispose of her. She is no use to us now. We don't need to ransom her off. We'll be as rich as we need when we get that Ember. Well, to dispose of her, you can even use some of the Ambalian snake venom."

"With pleasure." Shamus said, advancing on Bell, holding up a vial filled with black liquid. Shard fumbled with the lock. It was stuck.

"Open wide," Shamus said as he tipped the vial into Bell's open beak.

"Bell!" Shard cried as he burst out of the cage. He shoved Shamus away, grabbed the vial, and shoved it down Vienna's throat. What was left drained into Vienna in less the three seconds.

"You fool!" Vienna cried as she began to fall.

Just then, Pelli flew in, and what she saw was a strange sight. Her eyes instantly leapt to Bell, who was lying on the floor in a fevered state. Then, she saw a young owl with a scar over one eye. She'd thought she'd seen a scroom.

"Coryn?" Pelli asked. But she could soon tell that this owl was not Coryn.

When Shard turned around, he saw Pelli and knew she must be related to Bell.

He cried, "He's the one who poisoned Bell!"" and pointed one talon at Shamus. When Pelli heard this, she leapt for Shamus and knocked him down. He skidded towards some thin ice. She shoved him into it and it shattered. He quickly plummeted into the ocean and sank like a rock.

"Bell…" Pelli whispered as she turned around. She quickly ran over to her daughter. "You said she was poisoned?" Pelli asked Shard.

"Yes." he replied. "With flying snake venom."

"We have to get her back to the tree!" Pelli said, picking Bell up. "Cleve will know how to heal her!"

So, Pelli carried Bell out. "Search-and-Rescue chaw!" she cried. "Fall back!

The chaw quickly flew over.

"What's wrong with Bell?" Eglantine asked.

"She's been poisoned." Pelli explained.

They all gasped.

"We have to get her back to the tree, fast!" Pelli screeched.

So, Pelli Shard, and the Search-and-Rescued chaw began the long flight back to the Great Ga'Hoole tree.

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><p><strong>Ok, now there's only one Chapter left! Everything has been basically finished, except for the small, insignificant little detail of Bell dying. You'll have to keep reading to find out what happens next. The final Chapter will be up soon. Comment please!<br>**


	11. The Cure

**This is the final chapter, everybody! I'll get right to the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Guardians!  
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><p>When they arrived at the tree, Soren was the first one to one to meet them. "You found Bell!" he cheerfully cried, then looked serious and realized that she was unconscious. "Why is Bell unconscious?"<p>

"She got poisoned," Pelli panted. "Get Cleve!"

Immediately, Cleve was summoned. "What happened?" he asked the second he flew in.

"Bell was forced to drink flying snake venom." Shard explained.

"There's only one cure to that!" Cleve exclaimed. "And that's more venom. The Ambalian snakes know how to mix their poison into a cure."

"Mist knows some flying snakes!" Pelli suggested. "I saw them when I was searching for her."

"That'll have to do," said Cleve. "We'll start there, but there isn't much time!"

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><p>"Mist!" Soren cried as he flew into her hollow. "Where are Slynella and Styngell?"<p>

"The flying snakes?" Mist inquired.

"Yes!" Soren practically screamed. "My daughter accidentally drank some venom and we need a cure!"

Mist flew off to fetch Slynella. In a few minutes, she was back. Bell's breathing was shallow and laboured.

"Slynella!" Soren exclaimed. "My daughter drank some flying snake venom. Can you help us?"

"I'll do my besssst." she replied.

Soren, Pelli, Shard and Mist waited for something; anything.

When Slynella was done, Shard ran up to Bell.

"Did it work?" he cried. "Is she cured?"

"Only time will tell." Slynella slowly shook her head.

They transported Bell back to the Tree, where they put her in the Infirmary, hoping that she'd recover. Shard spent the whole time beside her.

Hours passed. Then nights. Things were not looking good. Bell had made no change. Soren and Pelli were not only heartbroken, but they were gizzardbroken, too. Everyone was sure that Bell was dead.

On her sixth night on the Infirmary, Shard noticed something. He was sure that Bell's eyelids had fluttered. He got up. Any change was better than how she'd been for the past few nights.

"Bell?" he whispered.

Her eyes opened.

"Bell!" he explained. He ran over and wrapped his wings around her.

"Shard?" she whispered. Her voice was so frail and rusty, like she hadn't spoken forever. "Wha – what happened?"

"They put some dangerous spices in that toasted vole you had and took info about the ember from you," Shard explained. "You told them everything. Once you'd given the info, Shamus poisoned you. We all thought you were dead! You've been out of it for days!"

"Really?" Bell asked, her voice gaining back its strength. "How long'sit been?"

Shard shrugged. "About a week."

"A week?" Bell cried in disbelief. "No wonder I'm starving!"

"Let's get you some food." Shard said. "And while I'm gone, I'll tell your parents and friends that you're alive."

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><p>Pelli ran into the Infirmary and wrapped her wings around Bell."Oh, I thought you were dead! I'm so glad that you survived," she cried.<p>

Then she turned to Shard, and dipped her head in gratitude. "Thank you. You helped save our daughter. Without you, Bell surly would have died because we never would've guessed that she'd been poisoned."

"Thank you for being there for my daughter in her time of need," Soren said. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you like."

"Can he stay with us?" Bell pleaded. "Oh, please? I love him!"

Shard's eyes widened in shock, while Bell blushed. "Did I say that out loud?" she asked.

Everyone nodded. She quickly covered, "I mean, I'd love _it."_

Shard smiled. "It's all right. You're not to bad, yourself."

Bell seemed satisfied. "So, Da, can he stay with us?"

Soren churred. "Of course."

Then, a Lesser Sooty Owl walked in. "Hi! I'm Pollyanna, the Matron's apprentice. I'm going to take care of Bell while she's here," she chirped. "And Bell needs her rest!"

"Alright." Pelli said. "See you tomorrow night, Bell."

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><p>In three nights, Bell was healed and had gained back her energy, so she could return to her family hollow.<p>

Shard was staying with the three B's, so the hollow was getting a little crowded; but, for later, Soren had a small private hollow made, big enough for two owls. While Bell was back to playing around as usual, Shard was always off by himself, thinking. There was something gnawing at the back of his gizzard, and he couldn't quite put his talon on it.

One night, a few weeks after Bell's return, it hit Shard. Raegan had been there when she heard the info on the ember, but somehow, she'd escaped. But, Bell soon had him assured that it was nothing, and got him into the mood. After all, Nimsy Night was tomorrow night.

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><p>Later that night, Shard flew up to the top of the tree, and saw a huge golden flower. He landed next to it.<p>

"Ah, I see you've found the Flower of Peace," said Soren as he landed down beside Shard.

Shard just kept staring at the flower. He finally tore his gaze away, and replied, "Oh, sorry. I was just… lost in thought, I guess." He turned again to look into the light of the Flower. It glowed an eerie yellow in the otherwise blue night. Shard sighed. "It reminds me of the way my mum's eyes looked when the sun reflected off them."

"Wait…" Soren said, narrowing his eyes. "Barn Owls don't have yellow eyes."

"Yeah, I know," Shard dreamily said. "Her's were more of a gold."

"No, I mean Barn Owls should have _black _eyes." Soren said. He thought for a second. "Um… how do I put this… I think your mother might be a hagsfiend."

"A hags-what?" Shard asked.

"A hagsfiend," Soren replied. "The demon-like birds from the time of the Legends; half owl, half crow. Nyra was one, and we suspect that it must run in the family."

"So you're saying I could be a hagsfiend." Shard quietly concluded.

"Yes - I mean, no!" Soren sputtered. "Look, don't worry. My nephew was a hagsfiend, but he could live a completely normal life – most of the time."

Shard looked shocked. "Most of the time? What is that supposed to mean? He was _yoicks _the rest of the time?"

"No," Soren denied. "You misunderstood. My nephew was the good King Coryn. He was king at a very young age, and the pressures of being a hagsfiend _and _king sometimes made him depressed, because he didn't have any friends or a mate."

"So you're saying I can't have a mate," Shard interjected.

Soren sighed. "If you want to be safe, I wouldn't. Of course, the haggish blood might _not _have been passed down successfully. You could be 100% owl, but I wouldn't take the chance."

"What should I tell Bell?" Shard asked.

Soren considered this for a moment. "I suppose she doesn't have to know that you're a hagsfiend."

"That I'm _possibly part _hagsfiend," Shard corrected. "And I didn't mean that. I think she has her gizzard set on being my mate. What should I tell her about that?"

Soren's head drooped for a second, then popped back up. "I still can't believe how old Bell's getting. Glaux, she's already found herself a to-be mate, and she's not even two years." He shook his head and churred. "Well, I guess _in the future_ when you're mates, you could just have no children. I think Bell would be fine with that."

Shard finally looked pleased. "Thanks," he said as he began to fly off. "I don't know what I'd do with out you, Soren."

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><p><strong>There we have it, the finished product. I'd like to thank all the everyone for reading my story. There's going to be a sequel, 'The Enemy From Within'. It'll be on the site soon. Again, thanks for reading.<br>**


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